BTN: Did you see it? Subliminal advertising

NATHAN BAZLEY:

If you watch any commercial TV, ads are everywhere! But now people are saying 30-second commercials might be an endangered species. What are they going on about? Well, there is a big change happening. But it certainly won't be the end of advertising. Businesses are just getting sneakier about how they sell their products.

VOICEOVER:

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SARAH LARSEN:

Ugh! Ads! They can be so annoying! Of course, ads are how commercial TV stations make their money so they pay for your favourite shows and some are works of art which cost millions to make. Still, with so many of them, it can have you reaching for the remote. But switching off the ads is getting easier and easier and now some people are saying the 30-second commercial could soon be a thing of the past. The way we watch TV and movies is changing. More and more shows are being made for the web where it's easier to skip the ads and new technology is changing TV. First, there were VCRs which let you fast-forward through the ads. Now there are HD recorders which click straight past them. To make money, TV stations and filmmakers are having to think outside the box. Here's a clip from the film Josie And The Pussycats. Now watch carefully and see how many ads you can spot.

WYATT:

Questions?

MARCO:

Wyatt, how come my limited-edition Coke can has me with a goatee when everybody knows I shaved into a soul patch for the Don't Tell Your Papa video? This is wiggity-wack, Wyatt.

SARAH LARSEN:

How many did you get? Let's watch again. If you hadn't noticed, that clip was actually advertising everything from department stores to soft drink, lollies, even dishwashing liquid. Have a look at some other movies and you'll probably see the same thing. This sort of advertising is called product placement. We're supposed to think that Spiderman just wants a Dr Pepper but in fact the soft drink company's paid a lot of money to have their product in the shot. Brands also pay money to have their products shown in TV shows or even music clips and video games. It's not a new idea. Back in 1982, a chocolate company paid to be ET's favourite snack. Sales went up by 60% and other companies realised how effective product placement could be. Now it's a multi-billion dollar industry and getting even bigger. Some shows depend on product placement to get made. It can help small producers get enough money to film and it's cleared the way for small online serials like this one.

FILMMAKER:

And action!

SARAH LARSEN:

But some people don't like product placement. They say it's a bit dishonest because you're being sold something… ..and you don't even know it. In some countries, product placement isn't allowed at all, or it has to be made clear that what you're seeing is an ad. In Australia, there aren't as many restrictions so it's up to you to think about what you're watching and whether or not you buy it!